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of  H)c 

Uniberfiitp  of  J}ortf)  Carolina 


Collection  of  i^ortlj  Carolutiana 
Ifof)n  ^prunt  l^ill 

of  the  Class  of  1889 


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TRACES  OF  THE  INDIAN  IN 


PIEDMONT  NORTH  CAROLINA 


By 

Douglas  L.  Rights       -  '  '*J§* 


TRACES  OF  THE  INDIAN  IN 

PIEDMONT  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Paper  Read  By  Rev.  Douglas  L.  Rights  Before  the  Annual 

Meeting  of  the  North  Carolina  Historical  Society, 

in  Raleigh,  Deeerfber  7,  1923 


^5 


The  bold  pioneers  who  colonized 
the  Carolinas,  truly  makers  of  his- 
tory, were  not,  with  few  exceptions, 
especially  interested  in  writing  his- 
tory. N'ot  only  did  most  of  them 
neglect  to  record  scrupulously  tluir 
own  achievements,  but  they  failed 
also  to  reveal  to  future  generations 
much  that  they  learned  of  their 
aboriginal  predecessors,  the  red  men. 

We  have,  in  a  general  way,  learned 
of  the  traits  of  the  Indian  in  the 
Carolinas.  There  are  a  few  detailed 
accounts  'on  record.  The  natives  of 
Eastern  Carolina  early  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  whites,  and  the  history 
of  the  two  races  was  interwoven 
from  the  beginning  of  the  settle- 
ment. 

It  was  not  thus  with  Piedmont 
and  Western  Carolina.  We  learn 
about  the  Ind:an  wars,  but  there  is 
little  to  study  which  will  throw  an 
intimate  light  upon  these  men,  their 
habits,  customs,  and  manner  of  liv- 
ing, except  the  scattered  traces  which 
they  have  left  behind. 

Teiiitorj;. 

The  territory  considered  in  th's 
paper  is  the  piedmont  section.  The 
study  includes  the  counties  from 
Orange  and  Chatham  in  the  east 
to  AVilkes  in  the  west;  from  Cabar- 
rus in  the  south  to  the  Virsinia  line 
in  the  north.  The  level  country  of 
the  east  pa.sses  gradually  into  the 
hill  country  of  the  west.  Before  the 
Indians  were  driven  across  the 
mountains  or  departed,  as  some  did, 
to  the  north,  this  section  was  mainly 
forest  land  with  pleasant  valleys, 
well  watered  and  suitable  for  hunt- 
ing and  fishing.  The  fertil.ty  of  the 
meadow  land  adjacent  to  streams 
forded  advantages  for  the  crude 
tempts  at  primeval  agricultuie. 
THbes. 

An  estimate  of  the  number 
aboriginal  inhabitants  east  of 
Mississippi  at  the  beginning 
colonization  by  the  whites  is  placed 
at  about  280,000.  Many  tribes, 
speaking  different  languages  and 
dialects,  occupied  this  territory.  They 
were    engaged    in    conf.nu^il    warfare. 


af- 
at- 


of 

the 

of 


The  Algonquin  and  Iroquois  groups, 
each  composed  of  various  tribes 
speaking  similar  dialects  though 
each  differed  from  the  others,  were 
the  most  numerous. 

The  Indians  encountered  by  the 
members  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's 
expedit  ons  to  our  coast'and  were  of 
the  Algonquin  group.  The  Tuscarora 
and  the  Cherokee  were  tribes  be- 
longing to  the  Iroquois  1  nguistic 
group.  Bishop  Spangenberg  in  1752 
passed  thru  a  Tuscarora  town  on 
the  Roanoke  River.  Indians  of  this 
tribe  may  have  roamed  the  piedmont 
country,  but  doubtiess  did  not  have 
permanent  settlements  there,  as 
they  were  at  war  with  and  feared 
the  Indians  of  that  region.  The 
Cherokees  held  to  the  mountains  of 
Western  Carolina.  Early  reports 
give  account  of  great  numbers  pass- 
ing thru  Piedmont  Carolina,  but  their 
stronghold  was  in  the  mount-iin 
country.  The  Senecas,  also  of  the 
Ii-flquois,  came  this  f  ar  south  on 
hunting  expeditions. 

The  Siouan  tribes,  we  know,  had 
strongholds  in  the  piedmont  section. 
These  included  the  Catawba,  Cheraw, 
Saponi,  Tutelo  and  Manocin.  Of 
these,  the  Catawba  is  considered  the 
most  important.  The  SaponV.  and 
Tutelo  ranged  from  Piedmont  Vir- 
ginia into  Carolina,  but  the  Catawba 
was  a  strong  tribe  of  the  piedmont 
region. 

Some  small  tribes  had  disappeared 
before  the  coming  of  the  whites,  as 
•s  reported  of  the  Sawra  Indians. 

Bishop  Spangenberg's  diary,  writ- 
ten at  Edenton  in  1752,  records  the 
following: 

"The  Indians  in  North  Carolina 
are  in  a  bad  way  .  The  Chowan 
Indians  are  reduced  to  a  few  fam- 
ilies. The  Tuscarora  lived  35  miles 
from  here,  and  are  still  in  possession 
of  a  pretty  piece  of  land.  They  are 
the  remnant  of  that  tribe  with  which 
Carolina  was  formerly  at  war,  and 
part  of  them  went  to  the  Five  Na- 
tions, and  united  with  them.  The 
Meherrin     Indians,       living      further 


^ 


west,  are  also  reduced  to  a  mere 
handful.  Still  further  west  1  ve  the 
Catawbas,  who  will  probably  be 
our  neighbors.  They  are  still  at 
war  with  ihf  Six  Nations  (Iroquo  s). 
Southwest  from  here,  behind  South 
Carolina,  are  the  Cherokees,  a  great 
Nation." 

In  a  study  of  the  aboriginal  traces 
left    by    th  s    vanishing    people,    it    is 
difficult  to  a.ssign   to   what  tribe  the 
relics  and  remains  belong.  Some  may 
have    been    left    by    hunting    parties 
and  temporary  sojourners.  However, 
the   Siouan   group   should   claim   tha 
majority.      This   was   the  r   home. 
The  Siii*vey. 
The  trail  of  the  Indian  is  ea.sy  to 
discover,   namely,   follow   the   water- 
courses.     The    Yadkin   and    Catawba 
rivers,    largest    streams    of    the    sec- 
tion,   reveal    most    clearly    traces    of 
the  Indian.     Though  the  land  adjoin- 
ing the   streams    has   been   tilled   for 
years,    the    mark   of   the   red    man   is 
stfll    there.      Camp   and    village    sites 
are  difficult  to  obliterate.    Occasion- 
ally an  overflow  from  the  river  per- 
forms   the      work    of      archaeologist 
and  excavates  with  a  nicety  that  re- 
veals the  secrets  of  the  hidden  burial 
grounds. 

However,  the  smaller  streams  bear 
witness  also.  Choose  almost  any 
creek  of  considerable  size,  and  ei-e 
long  you  will  f  nd  the  evidence  of 
former  habitation  by  the  red  man. 
A  stream  only  ten  miles  in  length, 
known  as  South  Fork  Creek,  is 
situated  five  miles  directlv  south  of 
Winston-Salem  and  flows' west.  At 
no  point  is  the  creek  more  than 
knee  deep.  A  careful  survey  reveals 
nineteen  camp  or  village  sites.  A 
thousand  artifacts  of  flint  have  been 
gathered  in  the  survey.  These  fields 
have  been  cultivated  for  over  a 
century. 

Following  the  watercourses  up  in- 
to branches  and  even  to  large  springs 
reveals  traces  of  the  Indian. 

If  calculations  from  these  surveys 
are  correct,  the  Indians  in  choosing 
camp  s  tes  preferred  the  north  bank 
of  a  stream  flowing  west,  the  west 
bank  of  a  stream  flowing  south,  thus 
securing  advantages   of   weather. 

A  partiality  for  sandy  loam  soil 
is  noted,  evidencing  no  aboriginal 
desire  to  become  a  "stick  in  the 
mud." 

Scenes  of  natural  beauty  and 
grandeur  are  often  marked  as  haunts 
of  the  Indian.  Peculiar  rock  form- 
ations, cliffs,  river  bends,  escarp- 
ments and  Other  more  or  less  spec- 
tacular natural  scenes  made  their 
appeal. 

It  is  disappointing,  therefore,  to 
record  only  faint  traces  of  the 
Indian  in  the  immediate  v  cinity  of 
picturesque  Pilot  Mountain.  How- 
ever, there  were  large  camps  at  no 
great    distance.      The    same    mav    bo 


.--•aul  ul  the  Sawratown  Mountains, 
reputed  to  be  named  after  a  native 
tribe.  But  altho  traces  in  the 
mountains  themselves  are  not  so 
numei-ous,  or  are  more  diff  cult  to 
di.sclose,  yet  the  longest  and  most 
beautiful  fashioned  spear  head  yet 
exhibited  from  the  Piedmont  section 
comes  from  the  slopes  of  the  Sawra- 
town   range. 

It  may  be  noted  that  traces  reveal 
that  the  Indian  did  not  camp  direct- 
ly on  the  brink  of  streams  unless  on 
a  high  bank.  The  usual  camp  or 
village  site  was  located  on  the  second 
bottom    or    rise    from    the    valley. 

An  iquities. 

About  7000  specimens  of  stone  im- 
plements gathered  in  the  Piedmont 
section  have  been  examined  during 
the  prepaiation  of  this  paper.  In 
Addition,  pottery  formed  from  baked 
mud.  nearly  all  now  found  only  in 
fragments,  has  betn  disf?covered  in 
abundance  thruout  the  region.  Or- 
naments of  she)l,  stone,  baked  mud 
and  bone  have  been  observed.  A 
few  ornaments  of  metal  have  been 
reported. 

These  various  relics  may  be 
classed  in  gener  1  with  the  tyn.^ 
found  along  the  AtlanJc  seaboard 
east  of  the  Alleghenies  extending 
from  Maine  to  Georgia. 

The  search  reveals  no  siga  of 
great  age.  Traces  of  a  socalled 
"primitive  man"  do  not  r.ppear.  Ex- 
cept in  graves  or  caches,  where  arti- 
ficial deposit  is  apparent,  no  sign 
of  very  ancient  human  life  is  in 
evidence.  One  report  showed  that 
an  arrowhead  was  found  seven  feet 
below  the  surface,  but  further  in- 
vestigation revealed  that  it  lay  in  the 
ed  of  a  running  stream,  where  it  had 
undoubtedly  been  carried  by  tlie 
water.  Paleolithic  traces  are  not 
expected. 

However,  quantities  of  these 
specimens  of  the  neolithic  age  may 
rightly  be  called  pre-hisioric.  Many 
of  the  artifacts  have  been  shaped 
long  before  the  advent  of  the  his- 
torians. For  instance,  the  lonely 
white  hunter's  cabin,  which  served 
as  the  first  abode  of  the  pioneers 
who  began  the  Wachovia  settlement, 
has  entirely  disappeared.  Not  a 
trace  of  the  colonists'  work  remains 
today  on  the  spot  marked  by  a 
l>Iain  granite  monument.  But  the 
plow  has  revealed  within  a  few  yards 
of  this  granite  block  distinct  traces 
of  a  former  Indian  camp.  Several 
arrowheads,  arrowheads'  broken  in 
the  making,  a  crude  tomahawk,  and 
fragments  of  pottery  reveal  an  an- 
cient camp  site  occupied  before  the 
coming  of  the  whites.  Thus  .some 
remains  may  be  called  pre-hi.storie, 
though  none  of  gi-eat  nge.  • 


Haiiditaps. 

The  deplorable  lack  of  public 
museums  cr  depoii^ories  Invo.ves 
re  ious  handicaps  :or  the  student  of 
Indian  Ivfe  in  this  rogion.  There 
ar  a  number  of  private  collec'ions 
hardly  accessible,  and  no  large,  ad- 
equate disp  ay  for  the  public,  -rhou- 
ETinds  and  thousands  of  specimens 
have  been  gathered  and  lost.  Many 
•of  the  most  inter*,  sting  have  passed 
out  of  the  sta-fe.  Su  "h  collections  as 
we  find  are  general'y  poorly  class- 
ified,   described    or   displayed. 

Within  a  radius  of  2j  miles  of 
Win~ton-£alem  there  were  thousands 
of  whole  specimens  of  mud-baked 
pottery  left  by  the  Indians.  Today 
there  is  only  one  complete  specimen 
en  exhibit  to  show  the  ceramic  art. 
This  is  in  the  Wachovia  Historical 
Society,  and  though  clacked,  s 
otherwi~e  well  pr.  served,  and  hap- 
pily possesses  a  record  of  th:-  camp 
site  where   found. 

Jia.ny  farmers,  whose  fieds  were 
examined  during  the  past  few  y~ars. 
had  been  plowing  amid  Invdian  relics 
for  years,  and  knev.r  not  what  these 
odd  bit3  of  stone  might  be. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this 
lack  of  acquaintance  with  Indian 
relics  leads  som'  minds  to  exagger- 
ation of  their  value.  It  is  reported 
that  a  soap:;tone  pot,  which  the  large 
museums  of  the  country  exhibit  in 
abundance,  is  being  held  by  a  certain 
man  foY  $100.  )0.  At  thi-  rate  for 
relic:  our  Na  ional  Museum  wi'l 
roon  riv^l  the  United  £tat3s  Treas- 
ury. The  South  Carolina  collector, 
who  is  reputed  to  have  gath  red 
twenty  bushels  of  arrowheads  in  a 
single  county,  is  ceitainly  a  well-to- 
ri o   perscn. 

The  writer  of  this  paper  has  sev- 
eral hundred  very  good' ^specimens 
of  arrowheads,  speAr  points,  drills 
and  knivs  fvom  the  Chapel  Hill 
neighborhood,  which  were  fashioned 
long  before  the  savage  sophom©ric 
j-ell  brought  terror  to  the  campus. 
He  is  readj'  to  present  these  to  the 
University  wheneve  ■  that  institution 
provitles  adequate  museum  facilities. 
At  present,  the  only  exhibition  of 
aboriginal  remains  at  the  University 
is  confined  tc  the  new  dormitories 
recent  y  erected,  th?  mortar  of  which 
was  mixed  wi  h  sand  from  an  Indian 
burying  ground. 

Re'ics. 

Of  what  do  these  relics  cons/st? 
By  far  the  mo^t  numerous  are  the 
flint  chipped  implements.  Among 
these,  ariow  points,  knives,  and 
fpear  heads  rank  first  in  number. 
Then  come  scr.apers,  drils  or 
punches,  oddly  shaped  stones,  rough- 
ly formed  axes,  celts,  gouges  and 
other  rude  tools. 

Less  plentiful  are  the  pecked  and 
polished  smooth  implements,  axes, 
gouges,  celts,  etc.  The  axe,  or  toma- 


hawk, is  usually  grooved,  sometimes 
-n  the  center,  sometimes  toward  one 
eMid,  thus  making  a  snug  fit  for  the 
handle,  which  embraced  the  body 
of  the  weapon.  These  vary  in 
length  from  four  to  eight  inches,  in 
weight  from  one  to  three  pounds. 
The  heavier  ones  require  a  s  trong 
arm  for  manipulation.  Production 
of  th3se  artifacts  required  much 
time  and   labor. 

Hammer  stones  abound.  These 
were  of  a  size  to  fit  into  the  hand, 
some  larger  for  the  heavier  worK, 
nearly  all  having  two  small  pits, 
one  in  the  center  of  each  flat  side. 
They  are  made  of  quartzite,  "nigger- 
head  rock"  or  flint,  with  preference 
-or  river  washed   stones. 

Fi'agments  of  pottery  are  found 
widespread  thruout  the  section. 
There  are  two  classes;  baked  mud 
and  steatite  or  soap.stone.  The  first 
appears  to  have  been  moulded  in 
baskets  cf  woven  grass  or  reeds, 
usually  conical  in  shape,  then  burned. 
Most  of  it  shows  gravel  and  even 
small  pebbles  intermingled  with  the 
clay.  It  is  quite  encluring  and  stands 
weathering  as  well  as  the  average 
brick.  Decorations  sometimes  ap- 
pear, mosfy  near  the  rim,  in  the 
form  of  incised  lines,  small  pits  ap- 
parently impressed  with  bone  or 
twig,  impressions  of  thumb  nail  at 
regular  intervals,  and  some  scrolls 
or  t.acings  well  rounded.  These 
mud  pots  are  ordinarily  one-fourth 
to  one-half  inch  thick.  The  color 
ranges  from  brick  red  to  dark  brown 
and  even  black.  Often  holes  were 
punched  near  the  rim  for  fitting 
hanelle.  A  gallon  or  less  was  the 
capacity  of  the  majority  of  these 
pots. 

Soapstone  vessels,  of  which  num- 
bers have  been  preserved  intact, 
were  made  from  material  found 
abundantly  in  the  piedmont  area. 
Some  are  blocks  of  stone  with  shal- 
low basin  scooped  out.  Others  are 
as  large  as  half-bushel  measures 
with  walls  more  than  an  inch  thick. 
Some  have  two  knobs  to  serve  as 
h  ndles.  More  delicate  specimens 
resemble  the  modern  deep  dish,  and 
one  specimen,  probably  a  burial  urn, 
is  beautifully  cut  down  to  the  size 
of  a  pint  cup,  with  walls  about  one- 
fourth  inch  thick,  having  small  holes 
pierced  near  the  rim  for  insertion 
of  handle  the  size  of  a  cord. 

There  are  several  soapstone  pestle.g 
and  mortars  for  pounding  grain. 

Piljes    and   Ornaments. 

Traces  show  plainly  that  the 
Pieelmont  Indian  was  adelicted  to 
the  use  of  tobacco.  Pipes  were 'made 
of  baked  mud,  but  more  often  of 
stone,  principally  soapstone.  A  few 
sm  11  metal  pipes  are  in  existence. 
Mud  pipes  range  in  shape  from  the 
straight    tubular   to   the   "L"   shaped. 


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The  .stiiiK-  iiipt-s  are  suiuulhly 
finished.  At  least  fotir  different 
styles  have  been  discovered  in  this 
region;  tubular,  Southern  mound 
type,  monitor  and  .VjqwI  or  vase 
shaped. 

The  ornaments  are  usually  of 
shell  or  stone,  some  of  baked  mud 
and  bone.  Bits  of  mica  have  been 
discovered  and  a  few  metal  orna- 
ments. 

Many  sheKs  have  been  found  on 
camp  sites  along  rivers,  mostly  in 
kitchen  middens,  where  sometimes 
a  bed  two  fe*t  thick,  nitngled  with 
animal  bone.-,  charcoal  and  broken 
implements,  mark  .  former  f tasting 
v!ace.  Some  of  the  larger  mus^Jftf 
:>helTs,  still  lustrous  and  colorful 
were  found.  They  may  have  served 
aa  spoons  or  a^  ornaments.  Some 
elongated  shells  resembling  the 
conch  weYe  :.rought  to  )ight.  These 
were  pierced  at  the  end  to  be 
;;trung  for  necklace.  Some  shells 
are  cut  round  like  a  coin  with  a 
smai:  hcle  drilled  near  the  edge. 
£hells  resemb  ing  sna'M  shells,  only 
much  smaller,  are  found  in  quan- 
tities, some  pierced  for  stringing. 
Wampum,  or  Indian  money,  has  been 
found,  shell  beads  about  one-half 
inch  long,  half  the  thickness  of  a 
lead    pencil,    all    pierced. 

Perforated  mud  beads  the  size  of 
a  marble  have  been  found,  also  a 
few   bone   beads. 

Ornamental  stones  vary  in  shape 
and  s'(ze.  Some  are  crescent  shaped 
with  hole  dri.led  thru  center.  Others 
are  squ.re,  oval,  elliptical  and  cir- 
cular. On  some  there  are  scratches 
Or  markings,  most  of  them  with  one 
or  two  pe-foraticns.  A  few  objects 
re  enible    tiny    saucers    or    bowls. 

Some  -few  copper  bsads.  and  discs 
have  been  found,  /,  ;      ;.  . 

In  linn  W'arfai'e.  • 

Graphic  accounts  of  warfare  ^j.e- 
tween  Indians  and  .  .  wlyjje..  -se.ttlers 
have  b  e.i  preseXVed',V-;."5^e.  fallow  .«g 
extracts  from  'The' Records  of  the 
Moravians  in  North 'Carolina,"  cited 
by  Mi3s  Ade  aide  Fries,  gives  vivid 
pietuvt  oj  the  f:tirring.  times  n  the 
piedmont  section  in  1760,  when  the 
Indians  were   on   the   warpath: 

"This  w2^s  a  year  of  fierce  Indian 
war,  and  on  he  10th  of  February  the 
first  whites  were  killed  by  tho 
Chcrokees  n  North  Carolina.  On 
the  13th  of  March  many  Indians 
we.e  in  our  neighborhood;  eight 
miles  away,  on  the  Yadkin,  houses 
were  burned;  two  men  were  killed 
at  the  bridge  over  the  Wach  (Salem 
Creek);  two  persons  were  killed  on 
I  he  Town  Fork.  They  had  one  large 
camp  six  miles  from  Bethania,  and 
a  smaller  one  less  than  three  miles. 
Here  at  the  mill,  and  at  Betnana, 
there  were  Indian  spies  every  night. 
M.nrch     Ifith.    a     lifaiitif  ul    snow    foil. 


lying  for  several  days,  and  then  wo 
could  see  the  smoke  from  :hejr 
camps.  Among  our  ncighboi:.  more 
than  fifteen  people  were  slai'i.  The 
Indians  said  later  that  they  had 
tried  to  make  prisoners  here,  but 
fa  led;  that  several  times  thty  had 
been  stopped  by  the  sound  .if  the 
watchman's  horn  and  the  ringing  of 
the  bell  for  morning  and  evening 
services. 

"On  the  9th  a  man  came,  pierced 
thru  and  thru  with  an  arrow.  He 
related  that  24  hours  befor ;  William 
Fish  and  his  son  had  asked  him  to 
go  with  them  to  their  farm  to  gel 
piov  sions  for  the  families  gathei'ed 
at  a  certain  place  on  the  Yadkin. 
Some  miles  up  the  river  they  hap- 
pened upon  a  party  of  Indians,  who 
fired  at  them  and  shot  many  arrows. 
Fish  and  his  son  fell,  but  this  man, 
longing  to  reach  Bethabara,  for  his 
soul's  sake  rode  into  the  river  to 
escape  them.  On  the  further  .'lide 
he  found  more  Ind/ans,  but  tliey 
paid  no  attention  to  him  and  he 
re-crossed  the  river,  plunge.i  into 
the  woods,  where  in  the  darkness 
and  rain  he  soon  lost  his  way,  and 
wounded  by  two  arrows,  wandered 
for  many  hours,  but  finally  i-eached 
the  Moravian  town  where  Dr.  Bonn 
took  out  the  arrow  and  saved  his 
life." 

Arrows. 

The  arrows,  such  as  this  account 
mentions,  were  an  important  factor 
both  in  hunting  and  in  warfare. 
They  are  the  most  numerous  of  all 
the  implements  still  preserved  and 
afford  an  interesting  study.  The 
site  of  a  camp  or  lodge  may  be  dis- 
covered by  the  scattered  flint  chips, 
broken  from  these  implements  in 
manufacture. 

Whether  a  flint  weapon  was  an 
arrow,  spear  or  knife,  we  can  only 
conjecture  from  its  size.  Sometimes 
the  shape  shows  distinctly  that  the 
implement  in  question  is  a  knife  and 
has  been  made  for  hafting.  A  large 
arrow  or  spear  could  serve  also  as 
knife. 

All  grades  of  workmanship  are 
found.  Some  of  the  arrow  points 
are  so  crudely  fashioned  that  we 
wonder  if  they  were  not  so  made 
to  provoke  a  smile  from  some  stolid 
savage.  Others  so  delicately  wrought, 
with  long  thin  blade,  symmetrical 
barbs,  or  so  finely  notched,  that  we 
marvel  how  aboriginal  tools  could 
accomplish  the  feat. 

The  flint  projectiles  exammed 
vary  in  length  from  f)ne-half  inch 
to   seven   inches. 

Material. 

The  material  from  which  they  are 
made  is  largely  flint  of  the  varying 
grades.  Some  pure  quartz  arrows, 
which  are  transparent,  are  preserved. 
Beautiful  white  quartz  arrowheads 
have  been  found  thruout  th's  sec- 
tion.     This   is    a    native   stone    ea  ily 


procured.  Many  tinted  flints,  gray, 
brown,  blue,  black,  with  streaked 
and  spotted  hues,  form  a  multi- 
colored variety  pleasing  to  the  eye. 
Practically  all  are  made  of  flint 
material,  which  represents  quartz  in 
d  fferent  degrees  of  purity.  Thru- 
out  the  world  this  has  been  discov- 
ered by  savages  as  a  tractable  stone, 
readily  shaped  by  chipping.  It 
breaks  with  a  conchoidal  fracture, 
that  is,  when  struck  a  sharp  blow 
with  another  hard  stone,  fragments 
break  off  leaving  shallow,  shell- 
shaped  cavities.  Attempts  to  use 
other  grades  of  stone  met  with  little 
success. 

Most  of  the  flint  was  quarried  at 
considerable  distance  from  camp 
sites  and  was  carried  by  the  Indians 
m  pieces  as  large  as  the  hand  and 
of  the  same  shape.  These  were 
kept  in  supply  for  future  use  in  ar- 
row making.  Piles  of  these  have 
been    unearthed. 

Some  of  the  arrowheads  studied 
were  apparently  made  of  material 
brought  many  miles  from  the  quarry. 
Some  of  the  piedmont  flint  chips 
and  implements  of  the  f  ner  grade. 
It  is  quite  probable,  were  brought 
from  across  the  mountains,  possioly 
some  from  the  famous  Flint  Ridge 
quarries  of  Ohio,  from  which  ma- 
terial has  been  traced  six  hundred 
miles. 

Classification. 
A  report  issued  a  number  of  years 
ago  by  the  National  Museum  in- 
cluded a  careful  classification  of 
the  different  shapes  of  Indian  ar- 
rowheads  as    follows: 

"Division  1 — L.eaf-sh:iped — In  this 
classification  the  leaf-shaped  is 
placed  at  the  head  as  being  the 
oldest  implement  of  its  kind.  The 
division  includes  all  kinds,  elliptical, 
oval,  oblong,  or  lanceolate  forms, 
bearing  any  relation  to  the  shape  of 
a  leaf,  and  without  stem,  shoulder 
'or  barb. 

D  vision  II — Triangular — All  spec- 
mens  in  the  form  of  a  triangle, 
whether  bases  or  edges  be  convex, 
concave   or   straight. 

Division  III — Stemmed — All  va- 
rieties of  stems,  whether  straight, 
pointed,  expanding,  round  or  flat, 
and  whether  bases  or  edges  are 
convex,   straight  or  concave. 

Division  IV — Peculiar  Forms,  such 
as  have  beveled  edges,  serrated 
edges,  bifurcated  stems,  perforators, 
etc." 

Following  this  classification,  the 
Piedmont  Indian  made  a  good  show- 
ing. From  a  single  camp  site  in 
Forsyth  county,  400  arrowheads 
were  gathered.  Of  the  many  pos- 
sible shapes  enumerated  in  this 
classification,  every  shape  mentioned 
in  the  list  was  found  included  in 
the  400,  except  the  long  thin  arrow 
ascribed  to  the  California  Indians, 
and  some  peculiar  forms  found  only 
In  distant  portions  of  our  country. 


i^rrow  Making-. 

The  mak.ng  of  an  Indian  arrow- 
head with  primitive  tcols  is,  to  many 
people,  a  mystery.  It  has  been  called 
a  lost  art.  However,  traces  in  Pied- 
mont Carolina  reveal  nearly  every 
stage  in  the  process  of  manufacture. 
While  there  were  numerous  methods 
employed,  in  a  general  way  we  may 
trace  the  implement  from  quarry 
to   quiver. 

First,  large  chunks  of  flint  were 
broken  (jTf  at  the  quarry  by  mean.? 
of  striking  with  weighty  boulders. 
These  were  reduced  by  blows  to 
large,  leaf-shaped  pieces.  These 
could  be  transported  and  finished 
elsewhere  at  leisure.  Hidden  stores 
of  these  have  been  uncovered  in  the 
piedmont    region. 

When  ready  for  fashioning,  the 
flint  was  laid  on  a  flat  stone  which 
served  as  anvil.  We  are  told  that 
strips  of  buckskm  or  other  soft  ma- 
terial were  placed  between  flint  and 
anvil  to  reserve  force  of  b-ows  for 
the    desired    portion    of   the   flint. 

The  work  of  striking  was  done 
with  a  hammer  stone,  shaped  like  a 
large  biscuit,  which  fitted  well  into 
the  hand.  Nearly  every  hammer 
stone  found  has  two  small  pits,  one 
worn  in  the  cente:  of  each  side. 
When  the  flint  is  worked  down  to 
a  size  easily  managed,  it  can  be 
held  in  the  hand.  Buckskin  strings 
were  doubtless  used  also  to  protect 
the  hand.  The  leaJ-.-haped  imple- 
ment ^is  now  re.dy  to  receive  the 
finishing  touches,  to  ba  pointed, 
trimmed  down,  stemmed  and  barbed. 
The  many  specimens  broken  in  the 
making  and  flUcarded  show  that 
the  Indian  was  not  always  success- 
ful In  his  efforts. 

The  renowned  Captain  John  Smith 
left  a  valuable  light  upon  the  subject 
of  arrowma^tng  when  he  wrote 
about  the  Indian  of  V  rginia,  "His 
arrowhead  he  quickly  maketh  with 
a  Wttle  bone,  which  he  ever  weareth 
at  his  bracert,  of  any  splint  of  a 
stone,  or  fflass  in  the  form  of  a 
heart,  and  these  they  glew  to  the  end 
of  their  Arrowes." 

These  smaller  tools  for  the  finish- 
ing touches  have  come  to  light  in 
our  sect  on.  One  of  these  little  deer 
horn  tools  was  cut  down  for  hafting, 
and  showed   signs  of  use. 

Holding  the  flint  in  one  hand,  the 
Indian,  with  pressure  and  dexterous 
turn  of  the  hard  bone  or  horn  tool, 
soon  had  the  small  chips  flying  and 
presented  a  deftly  formed  weapon 
ready  for  attaching  to  arrow  shaft. 
Different  methods  were  resorted 
to,  but  this  may  be  considered  the 
general  process. 

On  village  and  carnp  s'tes  the  loca- 
tion of  the  arrowmaker's  lodge  may 
be  discovered.  Hammer  stones, 
anvils,  partly  finished  implements, 
arrowheads  broken  in  process  and 
thickly  scattered  flint  chips  reveal 
.an   ancient  workshop. 


An    Indian    (•lavc. 

Although  traces  of  the  Indian  are 
abundant,  a'ter  the_  lapse  of  cue  or 
two  centurts,  it  is  difficult  to 
restore  in  imagination  a  camp  or 
village  as  it  actually  appeared,  peo- 
pled with  its  inhabitants.  However, 
the  overflow  of  the  rivers  during 
seasons  of  high  wat<  r,  have  revealed 
quite  clearly  methods  of  Indf'an 
burial.  Such  articles  as  deerskin 
and  feathered  ornaments  h.ve  long 
fince  disappeared,  but  the  remains 
h  f t  by  the  receding  waters  present 
a:\    interesting    as.'^embly    of   articles. 

Modes  of  burial  diffired  among 
the  various  tr  bes,  and  in  the  same 
tribe  more  el  borate  ceremonials 
were  observed  for  more  distinguished 
peronages.  Practically  a'l,  how- 
ever, instead  of  following  our  cus- 
t':m  in  which  pergonal  effects  of 
the  deceased  a  e  bequeathed  to 
dc-cenr^ants.  "-ou^rht  rather  to  en- 
tomb such  possessions  and  in  addi- 
tion to  add  gifts  from  kinsmen  and 
frienu  o.  ine  departed.  I'erh  .ps 
a  typical  grave  cf  an  important  mem- 
Iier  of  a  tribe  may  be  noted  in  the 
following   di-c-osure: 

The  water  of  the  stream  had 
rarr  ed  away  the  soil  to  a  .lepth  of 
four  feet.  Here  a  layer  of  stoneT 
was  loosened.  Directly  una  M-neaih 
were  numerous  implements  r-nd  or- 
namental articles.  The  disintegrated 
bones  showed  that  the  remains  had 
been  deposited  lying  horizontally 
with  head  to  the  east,  the  body 
flexed  in  a  sitting  po^'ture.  Th^  fol- 
low ng  articles  were  sc:itte"e1  in  the 
enclosure  which  was  nine  by  twelve 
feet  square: 

Six  conch  shells,  size  o"  thumb, 
pierced  to  form  a  necklace      . 

One    large,    lustrous    musc^  shell. 


One  shell  cut  to  size  of  five  cent 
piece,     pierced     with     smooch     hoh^ 

Five    wamijum    Vieads   of   shell. 

A  handful  of  small  shells,  souie 
pierced. 

One   mud-baked   bead,   pierced. 

One    bone    bead,    pierced. 

One  smooth,  thin  stone  ornament, 
])ierced    at    toi). 

A  dozen  or  more  sm'ill  colored 
pebbles  cf  attractive  shape. 

One  tomahawK  and  aiiother  frag- 
ment. 

One  fragment  of  smooth  celt. 

Three  portions  of  soapstone  pipes 
and  one  portion  of  a  mud  pipe. 

Four  bone  needles,  broken  from 
leg  bone  of  some  animal  and 
smoothed  down  to  a  iioint,  in  length 
fiom  one  to  four  inches. 

Six  hammer  stones,  all  bearing 
marks  of  usage. 

One  deer  or  goat  horn,  cut  for 
ha  ting,   an  arrowmaker's  tool. 

Quantities   of   mus|*^  shells. 

Bones  of  deer,  opossum,  dog  and 
other      nimals   and    a    tortoise    shell. 

Large  fragments  of  mud-baked 
pottery  linning  the  grave. 

Two  hundred  twenty-five  arrow- 
heads, rather  small,  and  as  many 
more  fragments. 

From  this  we  judge  that  the  de- 
parted member  of  the  tribe  was 
plentifully  supplied  for  his  journey 
to   the  spirit  land. 

Conclusion. 

Today  the  Indian  has  disappeared 
from  Piedmont  Carolina.  The  old 
folks  remember  when  roving  bands 
passed  thru  and  would  skillfully 
shoot  their  arrows  with  sure  aim  to 
strike  down  coins  placed  many  feet 
awTy  by  the  wonder  ng  white  men. 
But'  today  the  Indian  here  is  a 
memory.  Only  the  traces  remain 
to  tell  of  his  departed  glory. 


00030721808 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


C 


Form  No.  A-368,  Rev.  8/95 


■in 


mW 


